Gluten Free Barcelona - Very Shortly....

Eating in Barcelona is nothing more than a pleasure. With almost every possible combination of foods and produce available, it's so much fun to experiment and try different dishes or cuisines (and not all have to be from the boqueria!). Eating out is also a real treat for most of us. There are only two groups I feel a bit sorry for - Vegans and Celiacs (those who can't eat gluten). I already tried to assist the first group with my list of Vegan and Vegetarian restaurants in Barcelona - comments and updates welcome as always). My mother used to be really bad with her gluten allergy and my Auntie still is very bad sufferer so for almost ten years they've been packing soda loaves and soya products into their suitcases at the expense of my English chocolate. (Yes, I know Cadburys has a factory here, but it's the milk, guys, the milk. English cows, and English grass....I digress).

Often a rejoicing sound would be heard if we found a small corner of El Corte Ingles or Carrefour that had a shelf of gluten-free products - even at a hugely inflated price. And eating out was a really tricky one if I wasn't present. I had to prepare them little bits of paper for waiters "Por favor, soy alergica al gluten. Aconsejeme con mis elecciones del menu" and the like...and we're talking about over ten years ago, when the majority of people didn't even know what gluten was, or if you could be allergic to it.


Well, finally, help is at hand. Or nearly. I had heard on the grapevine about this guidebook, and actually had this post prepared last month, but then saw that the book had been whipped off the shelves at the request of the President of the Catalan Association of Celiacs due to an error in the opening text.

The book contains a list of 42 restaurants where those diners will have absolutely no problems or worries choosing from the menu - and hopefully their fellow diners won't be disappointed, either. I have to say that I know a few and would maybe not have even known I was eating gluten free food on the occasions I've been so all good.

If anyone has any more tips about a Gluten Free Barcelona, then please let me/us all know in the comments!!

Coming to Barcelona this month? There are some great reasons to visit the city, with the good weather doing its best to hang on, and one of the best festivals of the year to check out. If you're still looking for accommodation, or some last-minute deals then check out these apartments for rent in Barcelona as a great alternative to a hotel room. And for a quick look at what's what in the city, see this great Barcelona guide.

Google Map Car Out and About?

Just nipped out and saw what looks like the cars used to take Google Maps images on my street (going through a red light, by the way!).



Apologies for the poor quality image, but it was a quick pic on my phone and it's very bright outside! There was the name of a website on the side of the car, probably a collaborator or something, but I'm pretty sure it'll have been updating images, as those ones at the moment are a bit out-dated. You can see the camera here:



I don't know about you, but I'm a big fan of Google maps - it's pretty incredible now, with the 3D buildings, similar to Google earth, and you can seriously check out your next holiday destination, for example before you even get there! I would use street view to check out a hotel before booking, for example, or the local area, etc. Any other uses you can think of? Let me know in the comments!

Coming to Barcelona soon? Check out these late deals on apartments in Barcelona and for a quick look at the sights in the city, see this Barcelona guide.

Mas i Mas Music Festival Barcelona

Mas i Mas Music festival brings together as many different styles of music as you can want or imagine. From Jazz to Classical to Techno to Flamenco, some of the biggest names in each genre will be happy to participate in the festival which keeps on going from strength to strength.



The city is taken over a little with some of the best locations for the respective music styles. Moog plays host for the Techno nights, Jamboree - a Barcelona institution - hosts the Jazz nights, Tarantos plays your Flamenco rhythms, Uptown La cove del drac is rented for special nights as well as the Sala Mas i Mas for the special classic evenings. That's not all. The UNESCO World Heritage sites of Palau de la Musica and La Pedrera also join in with some fantastic evenings on the rooftop, and even Luz de Gas plays some special nights.

The festival is sponsored by San Miguel and runs all the way through August, as if you didn't have many other parties to go to! For a full programme of events, download the pdf file here (sorry, only Catalan). There's never been a better time to check out the rooftop at La Pedrera with no queues and some fantastic string quartets, for example, than an August summer night, right?

Do you fancy some of the nights at Mas i Mas, or are you planning on going? Let me know in the comments and tell me which you're looking forward to. And if you're coming to Barcelona this August, there are some great deals to be had on last minute Barcelona Apartments, too.

Rooftop Cocktails in Barcelona Hotels

There's something very cool about wandering into a 4 or 5 star hotel, and heading striaght for the lift without the staff or consierge batting an eyelid. Oh, and if they do, you just slip them a "I'm just going up to the bar" and receive a nod. Well, it's the height of summer, we're heading for some great parties already this wekeend. But if you're not in the mood for an all night dance fest and fancy some cool cocktails, then there are some great places you can try out.

One of the most central locations is the Gran Hotel in the gothic quarter, right in front of the Plaça Sant Jaume (metro Jaume I). Stunning views of the Cathedral and the sprawling streets of the maze that is the gothic quarter below provide a perfect backdrop for your drinks.



Visit Up is the name of the rooftop bar at the Pulitzer, just off Plaça Catalunya. This bridges the gap between the old and new, just on the border of the old town and the "new town" of Eixample. August has a limited access, and September jumps straight back in where it left off (open every night bar Mondays - pun intended!). Both locations so far are a nice summer walk away from each other, and if the thirst gets the better of you in between, then you could always stop off at the next place.



Hotel 1898 on Las Ramblas has Bar Isabela where you can book tables for some snazzy grub, or nip up for a quick cocktail, too.




And although not strictly a rooftop bar, the wet bar at the W Hotel in Barceloneta is well worth a mention. There is also a 26th floor bar (indoors) if you fancy the view, but Wet Bar has the best of both worlds with style, DJs and the Med right next to you!



For more outdoor drinking tips, check out my other posts from last year. And if you're coming to the city this summer, and fancy your own terrace, why not check out these Barcelona apartments for rent, with a selection of central apartments, some with terraces and balconies.

Barcelona Music Conference 2010

As if there wasn't enough going on in the city this coming weekend, with Barcelona Summer Week festival just around the corner, there's another big music event this weekend, with an enviable line-up as well. Barcelona Music Conference sounds extremely formal, and given the location at Fira de Barcelona you'd be forgiven for imagining something a little more organised and classical, perhaps, but it's along the same lines as Summer Week, with a stellar line up of top DJ's and the potential for another looooongggg weekend if you can manage it!



Friday and Saturday, 6th and 7th August if you're looking for a party under a roof, then head to Plaça Espanya. As usual, there's a discounted price if you go for both nights. It's 35 Euros for each night, or 50 Euros for the two nights. The party starts at 5pm and goes on for the full 12 hours (likely more!) - just in time for the metro ride back home! Or if you're feeling particularly flush, you can get a table under the stage with a bottle for a cool 1000 Euros, and a snip at 500 Euros for the second bottle! Surely you could just nip across to Ibiza for the weekend for that price?!

So, are you heading to Barcelona Summer Week or the Music Conference? Looking forward to seeing anyone in particular? let me know and leave a comment below (no spam, please, I get bored of deleting spam emails!).

Coming to Barcelona this month? Check out these apartments for rent in Barcelona as a great way to save money between friends. And for a quick look at the city sights, see this Barcelona Guide.

Barcelona Summer Week

No, not just 3 random words that sound right about this time of year, but the clever and easy name for the biggest Dance party this side of Sonar for the party goers. Barcelona Summer Week starts on 4th August and although the name suggests otherwise, runs for 4 days and nights! The location is the same as last year, up on Montjüic (where you can be relatively noisy without annoying too many people) and this year looks to be a party to live up to last years!



The line-up sees some local residents to the scene and also some International players - with two arenas to choose from and the fresh (?) night air providing the backdrop, it's a party not to be missed. Tickets are already on sale and if you think your body can take 2 nights on the trot (6th and 7th August), then there's a discounted 40 Euros double ticket. Tempted?

There's also plenty to sink your teetch into in the days before the main event, with the big players in town joining in the warm up party. There's the Chiringuito at Bogatell Beach, Otto Zutz, Catwalk, Row 14 and SOLO club all getting in on the act. For full details and line up see the official site on the link above.

Are you coming to Barcelona for the festival? Go last year? repeating? Let me know in the comments, I'd love to hear from you. And if you're looking for last-minute accommodation for the festival, try self-catering apartments in Barcelona instead of the hotel option.